The Red Sox are finally getting some good news on the injury front, and that’s about to force a round of roster shuffling in Boston.
Trevor Story has started his rehab assignment after sports hernia surgery, Roman Anthony is scheduled to begin his on August 18, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa will follow on August 19. All three are on the 60-day injured list, which means the Red Sox will need to clear room on the 40-man roster before any of them can be activated.
As of August 17, Boston has two open spots there, so only one move will be needed on that side. But the active roster is where the real squeeze begins.
That part gets messy fast.
With the Red Sox trying to keep a full bullpen together for their postseason push, and with so many reliever injuries already in the picture, the likely casualties are position players. Nick Sogard, Mickey Gasper, Anthony Seigler and Andruw Monasterio stand out as the most likely candidates to be pushed aside.
Gasper looks like a particularly clean fit to go when Anthony returns. Boston just recalled him to cover for Masataka Yoshida, who went down with a leg injury on August 15, but Gasper and Anthony are both left-handed hitters.
He’s also the team’s third catcher, and that’s not exactly a luxury the Red Sox need to keep carrying. Another catcher could always be brought back up once rosters expand.
The infield picture is even trickier once Story and Kiner-Falefa are ready.
Seigler and Monasterio have both given Boston useful stretches. Seigler hit .350/.409/.550 in June after being called up, and over his last seven games he’s slashing .350/.417/.500. Monasterio has piled up 12 doubles and 24 RBI between July and August, and he’s been especially valuable lately with the bat.
Still, the Red Sox may lean toward keeping Monasterio around longer because of the extra thump he’s brought. He’s become a doubles machine in recent weeks, and Boston needs as much slug as it can get in a lineup that wants power.
Sogard’s case is different. Through 29 games, he’s hitting .240/.353/.310.
The on-base ability stands out - he has 18 walks against 22 strikeouts - and he’s shown a knack for coming through with clutch hits. But compared with the others, his bat has been the least impactful.
If Boston has to choose, Seigler and Sogard look more likely to be optioned than Monasterio, even with the flashes both have shown.
There’s also a real case for Monasterio getting more run once Story is back, or at least splitting time with him. Story’s numbers before surgery were rough: .206/.244/.303 with 57 strikeouts in 41 games. That slump might have been tied to the injury, but the Red Sox can’t afford to guess during a playoff race.
A middle infield group of Story, Monasterio and Kiner-Falefa could give Boston a better blend than it’s had in a while, as long as Story can rebound even a little toward his 2025 production. Kiner-Falefa brings the glove, which should help cover for some of the mistakes Monasterio and Story have made.
Anthony’s return should also give the outfield offense a lift, especially by cutting into the playing time of Jarren Duran, who has been seriously struggling. The Red Sox are heading into some uncomfortable roster decisions, but they’re the kind a contender expects. And with rosters expanding on September 1, some of the players sent down now may not be gone for long.
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